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Snow, high winds hit Europe; Croatia faces swollen river

BUCHAREST, Romania (AP) - Emergency crews in Croatia struggled to contain a swollen river that reached record levels southeast of Zagreb Monday, while soldiers distributed food and drinking water to a section of Albania that has been flooded for two weeks.

Croatian authorities said the Sava River by the town of Jasenovac exceeded the highest level previously recorded by some 10 centimeters (4 inches.) About a dozen houses in a nearby village were cut off.

Residents have refused to evacuate so emergency crews are delivering food and water by boat, Croatian state TV channel HRT said. The Sava is expected to rise more in the coming days, experts said.

To the east, snow and freezing rain delayed dozens of flights and some trains in Romania amid a late cold snap. Snow also hit Germany, Hungary and Britain, among other European nations.

Valentin Iordache, the spokesman for airports in the Romanian capital of Bucharest, reported 30 flight delays Monday morning due to the wintry weather.

Temperatures were around minus 5 Celsius (23 Fahrenheit.) Trains running from Bucharest to the Black Sea port of Constanta and the southern city of Craiova were also delayed.

In Albania, the defense ministry and local authorities reported that about 3,000 hectares (7,400 acres) of land in the country's northwest were flooded and 225 houses in the countryside were surrounded by water.

Continuous rain and the release of excess water from hydropower stations have inundated the area for two weeks.

The defense ministry said soldiers were evacuating cattle in endangered areas. They also delivered food and drinking water for residents and livestock.

Firefighters rescued students at an elementary school where the water inside had reached one meter (yard) high.

An aerial photo shows a motorist driving on a road that leads through the snow-corvered forests of the Pilis Mountain near Pilisszentlaszlo, 30 kms north of Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, March 18, 2018. (Balazs Mohai/MTI via AP) The Associated Press
An aerial photo shows a motorist driving on a road that leads through the snow-corvered forests of the Pilis Mountain near Pilisszentlaszlo, 30 kms north of Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, March 18, 2018. (Balazs Mohai/MTI via AP) The Associated Press
An aerial photo shows a motorist driving on a road that leads through the snow-corvered forests of the Pilis Mountain near Pilisszentlaszlo, 30 kms north of Budapest, Hungary, Sunday, March 18, 2018. (Balazs Mohai/MTI via AP) The Associated Press
Strollers take a rest at the Wallberg chapel near Rottach-Egern, southern Germany, Sunday, March 18, 2018. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP) The Associated Press
Strollers walk in front of the Wallberg chapel near Rottach-Egern, southern Germany, Sunday, March 18, 2018. (Matthias Balk/dpa via AP) The Associated Press
A man pulls a child along in a sledge in Salisbury, England, Sunday March 18, 2018 as the wintry snap keeps its grip on the UK. (Rod Minchin/PA via AP) The Associated Press
A man walks his dog across a field in Salisbury, England, Sunday March 18, 2018 as the wintry snap keeps its grip on the UK. (Rod Minchin/PA via AP) The Associated Press
Highland cows are photographed as they graze in the Kilpatrick Hills near Glasgow, Scotland, Sunday March 18, 2018, as the cold snap keeps a grip of the UK. (John Linton/PA via AP) The Associated Press
A newborn lamb runs in the snowy weather near Canterbury, southeast England, as the wintry snap keeps its grip on the UK, Sunday March 18, 2018. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP) The Associated Press
Snow covers rooftops as the cold snap keeps a grip on the UK, near Rochester, England, Sunday March 18, 2018. (Gareth Fuller/PA via AP) The Associated Press
A polar bear curls up in the fresh snow in its enclosure in Sosto Zoo in Nyiregyhaza, Hungary, Sunday, March 18, 2018. (Attila Balazs/MTI via AP) The Associated Press
A dog looks over a wall in front of a house covered in ice, at Faxe Bay, South of Copenhagen, Denmark, Monday, March 19, 2018. Due to strong winds, water hit four houses near the sea front and freezing temperatures resulted in the houses being covered in layers of ice. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) The Associated Press
A view of a house covered in ice, at Faxe Bay, South of Copenhagen, Denmark, Monday, March 19, 2018. Due to strong winds, water hit four houses near the sea front and freezing temperatures resulted in the houses being covered in layers of ice. (Mads Claus Rasmussen/Ritzau Scanpix via AP) The Associated Press
Snow covers early spring flowers in Nagykanizsa, 210 kms southwest of Budapest, Hungary, Monday, March 19, 2018. (Gyorgy Varga/MTI via AP) The Associated Press
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